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Shelter Intake Best Practices: Part 1


Shelter Intake: Part 1

Brian A. DiGangi, DVM, MSDiplomate ABVP (Canine & Feline Practice, Shelter Medicine Practice)

Senior Director of Shelter MedicineASPCA

[email protected]


Outline

Intake Planning

Pathway Planning

Setting Up for Success

Behavioral Health

• Protocols• Staffing• Documentation

• Microchip Scanning

• Identification• Housing• Traffic Flow

• Examination• Prevention


Why do we need protocols?

Sound intake protocols ensure the health and welfare of individual animals and the shelter population!

Problem Prevention Consistency

Accountability Minimize Stress


Write it down!In the absence of a consistent veterinary relationship, limited medical care should be provided by all shelters… under the direction of a written protocol…

VaccinationParasite prophylaxis Diagnostic testing


Intake Staffing

Veterinary Team

Animal Husbandry

Staff

Animal Welfare Officers

Receptionists


Documentation & Communication

Minimum• Monthly intake by source• Monthly outcome by type• Daily animal census

Ideal• Evaluation by age group, health, behavior status• At intake and outcome

Best• Disease prevalence at intake• Incidence of disease during shelter stay


Basic Data Matrix

http://www.ShelterAnimalsCount.org


Pathway Planning

• Proactive approach to animal disposition• Identify likely outcome and get there efficiently

• Pathways are defined at intake and reviewed daily


Pathway Planning

Return-to-owner

• Microchips• Lost & found

Transfer/transport

• Timely• Efficient

Adoption

• Fast track• Open selection

Euthanasia

• Training• Scheduling


Microchip ScanningLord LK, Ingwersen W, Gray JL, et al. Characterization of animals with microchips entering animal shelters. JAVMA 235(2), 2009Lord LK, Pennell ML, Ingwersen W, et al. In vitro sensitivity of commercial scanners to microchips of various frequencies. JAVMA 223(11), 2008.Lord LK, Pennell ML, Ingwersen W, et al. Sensitivity of commercial scanners to microchips of various frequencies implanted in dogs and cats. JAVMA 223(11), 2008.


Microchip Lessons Learned

• 21% of shelters scanned animals once• >900 microchips found during additional scans

Frequency

• 52% of shelters only used 1 brand of scanner

Scanners

• No scanner had 100% sensitivity• Sensitivity changed based on scanner-chip orientation• Sensitivity improved with multiple scans• Every 5 lb. increase in weight increased odds of missing a

microchip

Technique


Microchip Lessons Learned

AKC CAR ProScan 700

AVID 1034 MiniTracker 3

HomeAgain Universal Worldscan

Datamars ISO Max V Universal Scanner

PetPoint Scanflex AFX-100

Datamars iMAX+Use global scanners

Use multiple scanners

Scan many times


Scanning Technique

Next stepsAreaCloseSlow

Griffin & Garner 2008


Scanning TechniqueOther considerations• Avoid metal tables, fluorescent lights, computers, metal

collars• Use fresh batteries• Look it up now!

http://petmicrochiplookup.org


Microchip Scanning


Setting Up for Success: Animal ID

A unique identifier must be established for each animal upon intake.

Identification should be physically affixed to the animal unless this poses a safety risk.

Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters, 2010


Setting Up for Success: Housing

Housing• Size• Style

Sanitation

Segregation• Species• Age• Sex• Health status


Setting Up for Success: Traffic Flow

What?• Planned movement of people and animals• Goals: minimize disease transmission, stress

How?• Most susceptible to least susceptible

• Puppies and kittens before adults• Healthy animals before sick animals


Setting Up for Success: Traffic Flow


Behavioral Health

To really care for any animal in captivity, we need to know about how that species lives in the wild, how they make use of their environment, and the signs that indicate when we are doing it wrong.

Melissa Kaplan www.anapsid.org


Behavioral Health


Lifestyle• Indoor/outdoor?• Adults/children?

Likes & Dislikes• Couch potato or athlete?• Scratching ears? Touching feet?

Problem Behaviors

• Aggression?• House soiling

Tricks and Talents

Examination & History


Stress Reduction

An abnormal or extreme adjustment in physiologyand/or behavior in response to aversive stimuli.

B Griffin & KR Hume, Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine V, 2006


The Stress Response

• ↑ HR, RR, Temp.

• Sweating• Dilated pupils• ↑ blood sugar• ↓ immune

system

• ↑ HR, RR, Temp.

• Sweating• Dilated pupils• ↑ blood sugar• ↓ immune

system

Short Term Stress

• Dehydration• Viral

shedding• Peptic ulcers• Insulin

resistance• ↓ immune

system

• Dehydration• Viral

shedding• Peptic ulcers• Insulin

resistance• ↓ immune

system

Long Term Stress


What is stressful?

+


Environmental EnrichmentEnrichment should be given the same importance as other components of animal care and should not be considered optional.

Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters, 2010


Behavioral Evaluation

Behavioral Evaluation

Intake

Veterinary Exam

Daily Observation

Training & Modification

Interaction with Public

Formal Behavioral

Assessment


Set Up for Success!

Create and use sound intake protocols

Identify and meet basic needs

Protect physical health

Minimize stress and meet behavioral needs

Maximize chances of live release


ConclusionsAnimal intake is an opportunity to protect animal

health and welfare…

…and it is our responsibility to do so.


Shelter Intake: Part 2

Tuesday, August 15, 3:00-3:30pm EST

Medical Health

• Physical examination• Vaccination• Parasite control• Diagnostic testing

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